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Dear Faculty Member:
Welcome to the Villanova Center for Liberal Education (VCLE) and the Augustine
and Culture Villanova Seminar (ACS)—and thank you! By teaching in this program,
you are contributing to Villanova's pursuit of excellence in the life of the
mind and its commitment to its Augustinian heritage.
The Villanova Seminar serves a variety of educational purposes. It is:
(1) writing intensive (serving as the required introductory writing
course at Villanova),
(2) discussion intensive (allowing our students to participate actively
in the life of the mind even at this introductory level),
(3) reading intensive (exposing all undergraduates in the University to
deep and important books), and
(4) geared to the Augustinian Catholic heritage (requiring students to
encounter the Bible and the thought of Augustine).
Fulfilling all these purposes is a tall order for faculty as well as students,
and nearly all VCLE faculty seek advice or help in one area or another--how to
teach writing, how to generate class discussion, how to approach the Bible, etc.
Hence this Guide includes not only a basic manual laying out the requirements of
the Villanova Seminar, but also a great deal of supplementary material designed
to be of interest and assistance to you as you prepare your ACS courses. You
will also find that other VCLE faculty are often eager to talk about their
classroom experiences, how they deal with the particular pedagogical challenges
of ACS, and what teaching strategies have worked for them. In agreeing to teach in the VCLE, you have joined a faculty not only
committed to teaching, but constantly talking about teaching and learning about
it from one another. Much of the material in this Guide is a written reflection
of these conversations.
This manual is an evolving document, and we welcome your suggestions for
additions or revisions.
Thank you again for joining the great conversation that is the Villanova Center
for Liberal Education!
Dr. John Doody, Birmingham Chair in the Humanities, Director, VCLE
Dr. Phillip Cary (former Ennis fellow, editor, 1997)
Dr. Marylu Hill (Assistant Director, VCLE, editor, 2006)
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